It’s been almost six years since Shirley Beagell died in a house fire at her Bonifay home.

Beagell's children have always thought their step dad was responsible for their mom's death.

Tuesday, the two parties faced off in court.

Shirley Beagell was killed back in May 2002.

Beagell's daughter Sharon Edelstein lived a quarter mile from her mom's house.

She remembers the day of the fire. "I went into the back bathroom and I had just slipped off my clothes and J.R Elley came running in screaming that my mom's house was on fire and she was in it."

News of a fire would startle anyone, but Edelstein was especially concerned for her mother, who lost the lower portion of her left leg to illness.

Two years prior to her death, Beagell was a patient in a Central Florida rehab center.

She had just returned home the day of the fire.

"When I got there, the house, it was burning; there was no stopping it," Edelstein remembers.

Eedelstein and her two sisters believe their stepdad, Edward Beagell intentionally started the blaze, about an hour after they got home.

However, according to the defense, their client couldn't have, because he was out running an errand.

"I asked him where he was and he said he had gone to the store to get onions and potatoes,” Edelstein says.

His lawyer claims Shirley Beagell was cooking dinner.

But, her children don't believe that version. Edelstein noted their mom couldn't stand without her walker. "She would have never been at the stove cooking."

The man, who called 911 that day, also cast doubt on Edward Beagell's version of the story.

Tuesday, he testified when he pulled up to the house, Edward Beagell was at the home, but he wasn't making much of an attempt to save his wife.

The case is a wrongful death civil trial.

If found guilty, Edward Beagell will have to pay undisclosed dollars to this stepdaughters.

The defense is expected to begin calling witnesses on Thursday.

There is no word as to when the jury will get the case.